Planting and growing olive trees

Olives are native to Mediterranean and tropical climates and are ideally suited to environmental conditions here in Southern California.   Mature trees can grow to be 50’ tall and can spread to 30’ wide.  However, with regular pruning, the trees can be kept to around 20 feet.  The distinctive, gnarled, branching pattern, and feathery, gray-green leaves of the olive tree make for an attractive addition to your yard.  Flowers are small and cream-colored and are usually hidden underneath the cover of the leaves.  The fruit that follow usually ripen to a deep-purple color, although some varieties ripen to green and for some, even copper.  Before buying olive trees, consult with a knowledgeable nurseryman about which varieties are suited for your area and if any are incompatible with each other and would interfere with each others pollination process.  Olives are hardy and can survive in poor soils with little water.  The most important factors are to plant in a full sun location, and into a well-drained soil.  When planting, dig a hole that is 18’ deep and wide.  Add 6 inches of soil back into the hole and mix into it, 2 heaping handfuls of compost, 5 cups of landscape mix and worm castings and two cups of azomite.  Then put the plant into the hole and fill in the remaining soil, mixing in handfuls of compost, landscape mix and worm castings after every four inches of soil, as you go.  Once established, olives can survive on minimal amounts of water, but definitely benefit from a deep watering every 4-6 weeks during the dry season.  For maximum fruit production it is important to properly prune your tree.  It is important to remember that olives never grow fruit in the same place twice and usually produce on the previous years growth.


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